Fair Treatment & Reflections

Life isn’t fair. People aren’t fair. Sometimes we treat others unfairly, or in the ‘busy’ of life we don’t make that phone call or return that message. When it happens a few times, it’s a pretty clear message that it’s just not that important.

Recently I read a book called Better Than Perfect – interesting introspection at how we sometimes cause our own problems – we all make mistakes, sometimes we make excuses. We love to invoke I can’t because…!

As a direct contact with customers, I try to be keenly aware of not only what I say but how I say it. Connor has had ‘life training’ dealing with people through booths at public events – and is good at engaging people. Sometimes discernment in when to make a joke and when not may waver, but he’s learning. As a teenager, his adult life will depend on learning to treat others well not just for what they can do in return but because it’s the right thing to do.

Give and take is a natural. Being willing to help others out is a good thing. It can cross lines when it’s one way. Imagine, for example, being asked multiple times “vote for me” or “go click on this post” and watching the growth that comes from it. Then one day you need something small, and message to “go click on this post” – silence! So then you get another “vote for me” link…are you going to do it? Or will you spend that few minutes messaging someone who doesgive and take?

It doesn’t really matter if it’s business or personal – if we don’t feel our time is valued then why bother? If there’s a tolerance but ‘stay over there’ message then it’s not engagement, it’s keeping people on strings to prop up popularity, isn’t it?

How do we treat people? How does that come back to us? We can put things out there and not all that comes back is good. There’s a lot of users in the world. I find about 5% on a good day are actually willing to put forth a return on relationships, even as friends. Is it self centered, is it stress, is it just not caring? We don’t always know – but do have a choice in how we react to it.

Like a clique in high school there’s the popular set and those who get jobs done and those who float between. I used to think that adults grew up to get beyond that, but now see that it never really goes away for many! There’s nothing wrong with being popular, successful, accomplished whether you get credit for it or not.

As a customer, a friend or even an acquaintance, the reactions from others does affect how I want to respond. What about you?